Newsletter

Chatham commissioners want feral cats eliminated

County Commissioners Patrick Farrell, Helen Stone and Tabitha Odell said they want Animal Control to eliminate the feral cat populations throughout the county.

The issue was raised during today's commission pre-meeting by Stone, who said she had safety concerns in light of news that a cat living in a colony off the Diamond Causeway recently tested positive for rabies.

Farrell said the cats should be brought to Animal Control and given five days for an owner to collect them. They should not be put back in the community, Farrell said.

Commissioner Odell said it should be against the law to catch, neuter and release the feral cats. They are not an endangered species, Odell said.

"These are cats that have gone wild," she said. "They have taken such an extreme, it's like we are trying to kill baby pandas."

County Attorney Jon Hart said the matter is a policy decision. Staff will collect the strays at the commission's direction, he said.